Dmoonz / Help now
I’m homeless.
What do I do now?
Start with a place to ask for help today. Find shelter intake, meals, showers and the next steps toward housing, education and work.
I need somewhere tonight ↗I need food or a showerFind your state
Local help across all 50 states.
Choose your state for official benefits contacts and routes to shelter, meals, showers and funded education. Confirm local intake and availability directly.
Choose your state ↗Immediate danger or urgent medical emergency: call 911. For NYC shelter directions or outreach, call 311. Outside NYC, use local 211.
You do not need a Dmoonz appointment to use these routes. Provider identity and official listings have been checked; we cannot guarantee safety, a bed or current availability.
Need shelter tonight in NYC?
Choose the intake route that matches your household. Call 311 to confirm directions and discuss access needs.
With children under 21, or pregnant · PATH
PATH: 151 East 151st Street, Bronx. Family intake is open 24/7. Call 718-503-6400 for intake questions.
Bring household identification and available housing-history documents. If records are missing, tell the intake worker and ask for help obtaining them. Staff assess eligibility and next steps.
Single adults 18+ · official intake locations
Men: 8 East 3rd Street, Manhattan. Women: Franklin Shelter, 1122 Franklin Avenue, Bronx, or HELP Women’s Center, 114 Snediker Avenue, Brooklyn.
Photo ID and available benefit or income records help; DHS says identification is helpful but not required for single-adult intake. Tell staff about medical, mobility, language or placement needs. If you stayed in shelter within the last 12 months, DHS directs you to return to the same shelter.
Adult families · no children under 21
AFIC: 333 Bowery, Manhattan, open 24/7. Bring available original identification, household relationship records and housing history; review the official checklist.
Children and young people need their own route.
Family, youth-service and school pathways have different age rules.
Under 18 and on your own · contact youth support
If you are separated from a safe caregiver, contact NYC youth services through 311 or 1-800-RUNAWAY (1-800-786-2929) for youth support. Use 911 for immediate danger.
Do not accept an unverified stranger’s room, ride or job in exchange for sexual contact, unpaid work, money or control of your documents. A youth worker can help identify the appropriate placement route.
Ages 14–24 · NYC youth drop-in services
DYCD youth drop-in centers offer essentials and referrals, including shelter connections. Residential services have their own age and eligibility rules; a drop-in visit does not guarantee an overnight bed.
Use the official directory to select a borough and contact a provider. Ask about hours, meals, showers, accessibility, LGBTQ+ support, pregnancy or parenting needs and shelter referral.
School-age children · keep education connected
Ask the school for its Students in Temporary Housing contact. NYC guidance provides for immediate enrollment despite missing enrollment documents when a student is in temporary housing. Ask about school continuity, transportation and available supports.
Tell the intake worker what you need.
Age, disability, family composition and immediate risks can change the appropriate referral.
Domestic or sexual violence · a confidential support route
In New York State, call 800-942-6906, text 844-997-2121 or use the state hotline’s chat for safety planning and referrals. Use a device the abusive person cannot monitor when possible.
Ask about confidential shelter and your household’s needs. Do not publish a confidential shelter address or wait for a Dmoonz response in an emergency.
Older adults, disability or significant medical needs
Use the adult or family intake route that fits your household. Explain stairs, mobility aids, medication storage, medical equipment, caregiver support or communication needs and request an accommodation review.
If you are leaving a hospital, ask its discharge team to coordinate the shelter or housing referral and document care needs. A hostel room or general shelter may not provide personal care or medical support.
Veterans · VA homeless services
Call 877-424-3838 for the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans. Ask about local housing, health and support options, including whether SSVF or another VA pathway fits.
LGBTQ+ and gender-related placement needs
Ask intake or the youth provider about placement consistent with your needs, privacy, accommodations and how to report harassment. If you feel unsafe, ask for a supervisor and document the concern when safe.
Use the official youth and shelter routes above rather than an unverified social-media offer.
Food, showers, laundry and a staffed place to ask.
A drop-in center is a service location; do not assume it has overnight beds.
Free food nearby
Enter your ZIP code for food help ↗NYC pantries & hot meals ↗Enter your ZIP on the provider’s website. Confirm meal times, pickup rules and stock with the listed site. A food bank can refer you to a pantry rather than distribute directly.
NYC adult drop-in centers · meals and hygiene
NYC311 lists drop-in centers offering meals, clothing, showers, laundry and case management, open 24/7. Confirm the service you need before traveling.
- Bronx: The Living Room, 800 Barretto Street.
- Brooklyn: Gathering Place, 2402 Atlantic Avenue.
- Manhattan: Olivieri, 257 West 30th Street; Paul’s Place, 114 West 14th Street; 9th Avenue, 771 9th Avenue.
- Queens: QDIC, 100-32 Atlantic Avenue; Union Hall, 92-32 Union Hall Street.
- Staten Island: Project Hospitality, 150 Richmond Terrace.
Ask staff about towels, toiletries, laundry availability and housing outreach. Services can change; the official directory is the current reference.
Have money for a temporary room? Compare the full cost.
A paid stay is different from emergency shelter or permanent housing. No cheapest-room or availability promise.
West Side YMCA · a verified paid residence option
The West Side YMCA at 5 West 63rd Street, Manhattan, operates a Residence Program with room reservations and 24-hour reception. Not every YMCA rents rooms.
The provider lists a $10 daily residence membership charge per room reservation; that is not the total nightly room price. Request your dates’ full cost, taxes and all mandatory charges through its official booking route.
Confirm ID and age requirements, whether children can stay, bathroom arrangements, accessibility, maximum stay and cancellation rules. This is not a free walk-in shower service or a guaranteed low-cost option.
Hostels, rooms and temporary housing alternatives
For an urgent no-money stay, use shelter intake. For paid accommodation, compare official hotel or hostel booking sites and verify the property and total price before paying. Ask 211 or your caseworker about verified local transitional housing and whether a referral or funding is available.
For a longer-term room, confirm the person’s authority to rent it, inspect the space, get written terms and understand locks, exits, occupancy, deposits and receipts. Avoid wiring money to an unknown person or paying for a “guaranteed voucher.” No private room listing is endorsed on this page.
Today’s help and longer-term housing are different steps.
Shelter intake does not automatically produce a voucher or apartment.
Housing, benefits and prevention
Ask your caseworker to screen the household for relevant rental assistance, SNAP, Cash Assistance, health coverage and disability-related benefits. The administering agency decides eligibility; waitlists and application routes differ.
If you still have housing but may lose it, contact NYC Homebase before leaving when possible. Keep court and eviction deadlines in the plan.
Education and training can be part of your next chapter.
Public funding can cover approved pathways. Ask for approval before enrolling or paying; no program pays for every course.
Children and teens · public school and graduation pathways
Start with school enrollment and temporary-housing support. NYC also offers alternative graduation pathways and high-school-equivalency routes for eligible young people ages 17–21. A school or referral counselor can help select the appropriate program.
Job Corps · eligible ages 16–24
This federally funded program provides education and career training at no cost to eligible students, with residential and other supports depending on the placement. Some disability-related age exceptions may apply.
Apply through the official program and ask about eligibility, campus openings, housing and enrollment timing. It is not same-night emergency shelter.
NYC adult education · eligible adults 21+
NYC Public Schools offers tuition-free adult classes for eligible adults 21 and older who lack a U.S. high school diploma or equivalency. Explore English, literacy and equivalency preparation.
Contact the official enrollment team to confirm the right class, schedule and current requirements.
Workforce1 / WIOA · approved job-training funding
NYC Workforce1 Individual Training Grants can cover specified costs for approved in-demand training. Funding is limited and requires assessment and approval; not every listed course is fundable.
Across the US, contact an American Job Center about WIOA eligibility and approved training. Ask what tuition, testing, books or support costs can be included before committing.
Disability-related work and training · vocational rehabilitation
New York’s ACCES-VR evaluates eligibility and plans employment-related services with a counselor. Approved services must fit the employment goal and plan. Do not buy a course or equipment assuming reimbursement.
Outside NY, ask your state vocational rehabilitation agency about its application route.
Paid apprenticeships and college-aid pathways
Registered apprenticeships combine paid work, instruction and a credential. Apply to the employer or sponsor and confirm qualifications, pay and any applicant costs; an apprenticeship is not automatically government-paid tuition for everyone.
For college funding, ask the school’s financial-aid office about FAFSA, applicable grants and homeless-student support. Use our education guide for the next steps and official resources.
Protect your next step.
Established providers and official directories are starting points—not a guarantee of every person’s conduct.
- Confirm a provider using its official website and independently listed contact number.
- Ask about staffing, locks, accessible exits, household rules, privacy and the complaint process.
- No legitimate referral should require sexual contact, surrendering control of your ID or bank account, or work under threats.
- Keep originals under your control; let official intake staff inspect documents through their proper process.
- For paid rooms, get the full price and terms in writing. Do not pay an unknown person to reserve a government benefit.
- If threatened, move toward staffed help when possible. Use 911 for immediate danger; otherwise request a supervisor or advocacy referral.
Outside NYC? Start locally.
These finders cover communities across the United States; intake and eligibility are local.
Find shelter, healthcare and clothing near you ↗
Search local 211 by ZIP code ↗
Find national family essentials ↗
Tell the provider your location, ages, household size, whether you need a bed tonight, accessibility needs and whether anyone is pregnant. Ask where intake happens and what to bring.
Once today is covered, let’s organize tomorrow.
Dmoonz can help you organize referrals, paperwork and education or housing next steps. We are not an emergency dispatch service or shelter and cannot reserve a bed through general intake.
Help me organize my next steps ↗Monday–Friday · 11 AM–4 PM Eastern. Do not send identity numbers or medical records through general intake.
Reviewed October 11, 2026. Official source links appear beside each pathway. Confirm current services directly. This is a curated guide, not every available program, a safety certification or a promise of placement.